


Darkstalker Gets the Healing Redemption Arc We All Deserved and It Happens Through Cultivating a Healthy Relationship With You, the Reader

by tenby



Category: Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon Fix-It, Reader is human, Reader is named, Reader's gender is not specified, Self-Indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:29:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29479215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tenby/pseuds/tenby
Summary: After meeting you, Darkstalker realizes that he wants to be a good dragon, and you're happy to help him with that.
Relationships: Darkstalker/Reader
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have always loved Darkstalker and I am EGREGIOUSLY displeased with how Tui ended his arc. I mean, it makes *sense* for his character, but if I wanted something that made sense and that alone I'd go read a nonfiction book for once in my life lmao.
> 
> Anyways this fic is 100% self-indulgent. I wrote it for me, but I'm sharing it with the world in the hopes that someone else can enjoy it too.
> 
> The reader is named Skylar.

Out of the corner of your eye, you can feel Darkstalker staring at you. Putting down your phone with a sigh, you ask, "Yes? What is it?"

"You've hardly touched your food," he says gently. "Do you want something different to eat?"

"No, no, it's fine. I'm just not hungry."

Darkstalker lashes his tail behind him in annoyance. "Most precious gem, I could help you more easily if you would let me read your mind. All you must do is remove the stone on your arm--"

"No." You are not having this conversation again. "You can help me the regular way that relationships work. Through verbal communication and trust that persists even when you don't know what they're thinking." You stare him directly in his eyes as you add, "I am not taking off the skyfire, and that is final."

He can't help himself. At your words, the energy in him deflates, and his warm scales press against your side as he lets out a little laugh. "Alright, alright. I won't ask again." After a moment, he says, "If the food is not the problem, then what is?"

Grinning coyly, you nudge him in the ribs with an elbow. "I guess you're just going to have to trust that I mean it when I say I'm not hungry."

Darkstalker growls at this, but it was a playful growl, a growl that acknowledged that while he was unhappy that this was so difficult for him, he was grateful you were helping to teach him how to be a better dragon all the time. You laugh along with his growl, and snuggle deeper into the crook of his belly, feeling more warm and cozy than any meal could ever make you.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darkstalker lets you ride on his back while the two of you fly.

"And how does it feel?" He calls up to you, but you can hardly hear him through the wind snapping at your hair.

"It feels ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!!!" You let your head fall back with a whoop so loud it probably echoed off the Jade Mountain itself. Speaking of which...

"Oh! On our way home, let's go stop by the school and say hi to everybody!"

Immediately, you can feel the muscles in Darkstalker's neck ripple uncomfortably. "Are you sure? We still aren't super on great terms with everybody since. Well. You know."

Even though he can't see it, you smile, and give his neck a reassuring pat. "Don't worry, babe. I'll make sure they're all on their best behavior around you. And that _includes you_ , mister. This is a chance for you to show them how much progress you've made!! Don't let them win by making you mad enough to hex them."

"Not even one tiny spell?? Even a temporary curse??"

"Nope. Or else you can drop me off right here and I'll make my own way home."

Darkstalker's great lungs vibrated with the force of his sigh. Resigned, he managed to grumble, "Fine. I was mostly kidding anyways."

You know he was. But old habits die hard, and you don't want him to slip in front of the people who are most important to his recovery. "Jade Mountain School, here we come~!"

* * *

"Sunny!"

"SKYLAR!!!!"

You meet in the center as soon as you hop off Darkstalker's back. As usual, Sunny's hug is warm and all-encompassing, like she put everything she is into it. She probably did.

When you part, she holds onto your hands gently with her talons, and you can't help the smile forming on your face when you look into her sparkling green eyes. "Gosh, it's been so long. It's so good to see you! "

"It's so good to see _you!_ " She presses her talons deeper into your palm; a common dragon greeting that at this point you’re well-acquainted with. After a moment, she glances up at Darkstalker, who looks busy trying to fade into the background, and she grins at him with a row of sharp, sparkly teeth. "And it's good to see you as well, Darkstalker! I'm so happy you two decided to drop in for a visit. The kids have been missing you."

"No we have NOT!" Pipes up one small voice in the back, from what appears to be a SkyWing dragonet being accompanied by an older looking SeaWing. The SeaWing smacks his heavy tail on the kid's rump which, although the blow was light, still bowls the SkyWing over a bit.

"Be nice," the SeaWing snaps. "You don't even know who those two are."

You giggle and wave. "Hi, Webs. Hi, student-I-don't-know-yet. My name is Skylar."

The SkyWing groans loudly. "Oh, _great_. Now we have a scavenger that can _talk_." This earns him another hearty smack, and after giving you a quick wave, Webs soon disappears up the cave tunnel with his student in tow. You turn back to Sunny, a curious look on your face.

She laughs. "Yeah, that's Briar alright. Please forgive the pun, but he has a somewhat _prickly_ attitude. He's been raised on old SkyWing ideals, however, so we're all trying to cut him some slack."

"While still disciplining him where appropriate," you add, and Sunny nods, pleased that you picked up on that.

"Yes! Oh, the school has been doing so well lately. We just received _another_ round of admissions and, frankly, I'm almost overwhelmed with it all. But that just means that it's doing exactly what we intended for it to do! More education for young minds to make better choices and lead better lives all around!" She claps her talons together with glee and the excitement is so infectious that you almost want to start working here yourself.

That happy feeling soon fades as the ominous gloom of Darkstalker's shadow appears over you both. "Ah, Sunny," he croons, obviously faking politeness. He's so uncomfortable here. "Glad to hear things are going well with the school. How is your...um...father?"

Not perturbed in the slightest, Sunny responds cheerily, "He's great! He's getting tired a lot more recently, so we've been trying to make him as comfortable as we can while he turns to stone. But he really enjoys talking with the students, especially the ones who like to read."

See, this is why you love Sunny. No one can face Darkstalker's edginess and talk about their dying father all while smiling like she can. You'd bet a thousand cows that she genuinely enjoys the company of everyone, even the ones who laugh in her face and tell her that her school is a joke. Idly, you wonder if she has some sort of secret NightWing fortune telling abilities herself, and that's why she's always so calm and collected. She she seems to know that everything is going to turn out fine.

"Oh? That's...nice." Darkstalker ducks his head, uncharacteristically shy. You can tell this is torture for him, having to look the dragon that he almost destroyed in the face and chat like nothing happened. While you have never condoned the choices he made in the past, you do feel sympathy for him now, and rest a reassuring hand on his leg.

"It's okay, Darkstalker. We just came to say hi, so we'll be leaving soon." To Sunny, you ask, "Clay and the others aren't around, are they?"

Sunny just shakes her head. "Unfortunately, no. Clay's still on his charity mission and Glory hardly ever visits anymore. I mean, having ex-Talons members really helps pick up the slack around here, and I don't want anyone to think I'm ungrateful! But it's just--well, it's just--"

You understand. "It's lonely without having your family around."

Sunny dips her head in a quiet nod.

You can tell Darkstalker is doing that thing again where he's amazed at your ability to tell what people are really thinking without being a mind-reader. Perhaps someday you'll ask him to make himself unable to read minds for a day and attempt to teach him that it's not as world-endingly impossible as he thinks it is. He can be such a drama queen sometimes.

"Well, we'll head out here. Be sure to tell Clay we dropped by, alright?"

Instantly, Sunny's cheeriness returns and she nods emphatically at this suggestion. "Of course! Awww, I know he's going to be sad to hear he missed you. Missed you _both_ ," she adds, loudly, in Darkstalker's direction. "But I won't keep you if you have to go. Tell the NightWing kingdom that I said hi! And, probably more importantly, tell them that we are still receiving applications until the solstice!"

You wave from where you've already clambered back onto Darkstalker's broad shoulders. "Will do! Bye, Sunny!"

"Goodbye, Skylar! Goodbye, Darkstalker! Safe travels to you both!"

And then your stomach is dropping as Darkstalker launches himself into the air with powerful wingthrusts that nearly throw you from his back. But this is not your first time flying, and you know now where exactly to cling so that you don't fly off behind him and make an unfortunate reunion with the ground. Jade Mountain soon recedes in the distance, and you can recline on your partner's back as he cruises high above the clouds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole time I was writing this I was just like "it's MY fic and I get to choose whether or not to include tildas in text!" Lol
> 
> Anyways I take writing commissions. One cent per word. The first and second chapter of this fic combined would be $14.99 as an example.


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